Preserving Natural Beauty

The Union Territory of Ladakh which comprises Leh, Kargil, Indus, Nubra River Valleys and the Zanskar range is India's largest cold desert with altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 meters and more. While this region has a short and dry summer season, the winters are long with heavy snowfall and chilling high velocity winds that causes the temperatures to fall far below sub-zero.
Despite the difficult terrain, rarefied air and harsh climatic conditions, Ladakh has its unique charm of its own that attracts a large number of international as well as domestic tourists, especially during the summer months. As we all know, with tourists comes litter, and despite repeated efforts to educate them on the importance of keeping the environment clean, discarding waste material carelessly continues unabated.
Waste plastic containers of packaged water and beverages, metallic foil wrappers of snacks and expanded polystyrene [commonly referred to as Thermocol in India] not only mar Ladakh’s natural beauty but also pose a serious threat to its fragile environment. Luckily, various environmental non-government organisations [NGOs] have volunteered to help the civil administration in tackling this problem.
The army too has been working on the mission to clean and green Ladakh for years. Besides physically removing waste material, it has been providing excellent administrative support to NGOs so that they can fully concentrate on their task. This very month, the Indian army and Border Roads Organisation cleared about 7 to 8 tonnes of plastic waste from the Ghost Temple shrine on the Manali-Leh Highway at an altitude in excess of 4,500 meters.

Operation Cleanup

It’s not only the careless attitude of tourists visiting Ladakh that causes accumulation of litter in the area. In the past, the India army was also responsible for littering certain areas, but this wasn't due an irresponsible attitude but insurmountable compulsions and
When the Indian army was rushed into Ladakh to evict irregular forces commanded by the Pakistani army in early 1948, this area had no motorable roads. Though a few arterial roads came up in the hinterland subsequently, many areas bordering Pakistan and China still remained inaccessible for vehicular traffic.
Consequently, sustenance of a large percentage of troops deployed on the Indo-Pak and Sino-Indian borders perforce had to be done through airdrops. Ammunition, rations, kerosene and fuel were packed in metal containers and dropped by parachutes. With the passage of time, these empty containers piled up and created massive junkyards which unfortunately couldn’t be removed due to lack of any means of transportation.
The army put empty metal containers [referred to as ‘jerricans’] and ammunition boxes to good use for constructing field fortifications and even billet walls. However, due to regular airdrops, the landscape adjoining military posts was pockmarked with ugly piles of discarded rusting metal, which posed a threat to the environment. Thanks to the recent road connectivity push in the border areas in Ladakh, this problem has found a solution.
Udhampur based Northern Command has initiated a comprehensive programme to retrieve metal waste from forward areas through “reverse logistics.” Transport carrying military hardware, ammunition and supplies to these locations carry metal waste on their return trip to the bases that have adequate facilities for handling and disposal of this junk.
Code named “Operation Cleanup,” this initiative is commendable for two reasons. One, since the metal scrap is carried by vehicles that would otherwise be returning empty, this project does not entail any additional financial burden on the exchequer. On the contrary, scrap metal sale through government portals will provide a token monetary return to the government. Two, removing rusted metal will help in reclaiming the environment and restore the pristine beauty of the area.

Arboriculture

Arboriculture in Ladakh’s cold desert is a major challenge due to hyper aridity caused by scanty rainfall and aggravated on account of rapid moisture evaporation thanks to rarefied atmosphere and intense solar radiation. Furthermore, plants taking root and their growth are significantly retarded by extreme seasonal temperature fluctuations and nutrient deficient soil.
However, this is the type of challenge in which the Indian army revels, and ask any local and you’ll be told that the army has done yeoman service in greening Ladakh. It has also supported and participated in various arboriculture programmes undertaken by the Forest Department and various NGOs.
An important contribution of the army is using innovative means to increase sapling survivability rate in an area where the summers are both short and dry. One example is using discarded tyres and tubes to aid sapling growth by trapping moisture and reducing need for manual watering.

Wildlife Preservation

The army’s role in preserving wild life needs no emphasis. Legendary ornithologist Dr Salim Ali [1896-1987], who was actively involved studying migratory habits of the elusive Black-necked crane had visited Chushul and other border areas in Ladakh and had praised the army for effectively turning its frontline forward positions into ‘accidental’ wildlife sanctuaries.
In March this year, the Indian army formalised its wild life preservation efforts by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Ladakh administration to help preserve the fragile high-altitude ecology of the region and conserve key wildlife species including the snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, ibex, bharal [blue mountain goat], marmot and black-necked cranes.

Environment Protection

The army is a key player in environmental protection in Ladakh. Impressed with their dedication in preserving the environment, the Ladakh administration has employed 100 former army men in its Environment Protection Force [EPF].” Lt Governor V K Saxena has opined that “The EPF brings together the discipline, integrity and commitment of our ex-servicemen to protect this fragile ecosystem.” He is also sanguine that they will “also become ambassadors of cleanliness, biodiversity conservation and responsible tourism across Ladakh.”

Soldiers and Nature

Call of duty takes soldiers to different places and they often spend a considerable time along India’s vast borders alone in the wilderness. This brings them close to nature and creates an enduring bond with the environment which explains why there are such a large number of environmental groups comprising ex-servicemen in the country.
The men in green are doing a fantastic job in keeping the environment clean and turning Ladakh green.

Email:------------------------nileshkunwar.56@gmail.com